No one can ignore the importance of nopCommerce development. So, in this nopCommerce Development Guide, I will discuss everything from the beginners to advanced step-by-step processes.

Can you think how many people are using online shopping these days? You will be amazed after hearing about the number of online buyers today.

Online stores are used by over two billion people throughout the world. That is one of the main reasons for the development of nopCommerce. As a result, those who own online businesses are interested in nopCommerce development.

Now I will describe to you everything about a nopCommerce development from the beginning to end, whatever you need. This beginner’s guide for nopCommerce development will introduce you to creating a nopCommerce theme, plugin integration, store development and recreation.

nopCommerce Development Summary

It would be best if you glanced at the nopCommerce development overview before diving into the details nopCommerce developers guide. To quickly learn the fundamentals of eCommerce application development, I organized the key points in a table.

Types:B2B, B2C, C2C, C2B, multi-vendor, Aggregator.
Platforms:iOS, Android, Windows, Web App.
Process:Identify the Niche → Target Audience Research → Competitors Analysis → Planning Important Features → Preparing Design Elements →  Development → Testing → Deployment → Maintenance.
Tech Stack:HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JQuery, Kendo UI, Linq2DB, AutoMapper, Web Server, Databases, Storage.
Development Cost:Average cost is around $700 to $4000 (depends on the country & Variety of Applications)
Table: nopCommerce development Summary table

What is eCommerce?

Electronic commerce is referred to as e-commerce. It is used to keep track of business transactions through an electronic medium such as the Internet. But, the factor is most often used to describe the buying and sale of goods and services on the Internet.

We can say that eCommerce is a digital system. This system works for sharing business information and conducting business with buyers. But not only buying and selling e-commerce applications also have more purposes. For example, Ecommerce Development allows businesses to interact with their consumer more efficiently!

What is nopCommerce?

nopCommerce is a highly flexible open-source eCommerce system used by a wide range of companies, from small businesses to large enterprize.

nopCommerce delivers an optimal user/shopping experience with expanded features such as price promotion choices, comparison tools, inventory management, and powerful SEO.

It is built on Microsoft’s ASP.NET Core framework with a backend database powered by Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (or above). In addition, it has a catalog interface and a backend administrative tool for creating shopping carts. It was first released in October 2008 under the nopCommerce Public License V3 for small and medium-sized businesses.

Andrei Mazulnitsyn began developing nopCommerce in Yaroslavl, Russia, in 2008. Later, the company relocated to Yerevan, Armenia. Microsoft saw nopCommerce as important enough to include it in the Microsoft Web Platform Installer. 

Order processing, characteristics, plugins, discounts, tier pricing, news, blogs, private messaging, forums, and tax and shipping support were all included in the original editions. Version 1.70 included a new data access layer in June 2010. NopCommerce was first released as an ASP.NET MVC-based solution in version 2.00 (August 2011). NopCommerce switched to ASP.NET MVC 4 later in 2011. The product logic was simplified, and multi-store and multi-vendor functionalities were added to versions 3.00 and 3.10. A contemporary and responsive template was provided in versions 3.50, 3.60, and 3.70. Version 3.80 included a new, responsive admin panel with basic and sophisticated views and the ability to operate in web farms.

Why nopCommerce for eCommerce Development?

NopCommerce is an open-source .NET framework free e-commerce platform that can be used by both small and big businesses. The system has been downloaded over 1.8 million times, has a vibrant online community and is backed by a robust network of partners. NopCommerce comes with everything you’ll need to expand your e-commerce company, including:

Open-Source

The most significant benefit of the NopCommerce platform for developers is that it is free. Anyone may get a source code and modify it to meet the specific requirements of a product. Because there are no fees, the Development is more cost-effective. Furthermore, the backend built on the NopCommerce platform supports Microsoft SQL Server Express Edition for free.

Despite the fact that it is a free E-Commerce platform, NopCommerce offers developer support and updates. Their customer service team is dependable and skilled. There are many other features and themes available to help you with your E-Commerce development.

Another benefit of nopCommerce is that you can quickly swap the developers that work on the project.

Feature-Rich

Multi-store, multi-vendor, multi-language, multi-currency, rental items, and more are among the system’s built-in e-commerce capabilities.

Ideal for Mobile Commerce

According to statistics, mobile devices are used to make the majority of online transactions, and their number is steadily increasing. Mobile retail will account for 72.9 percent of worldwide retail e-commerce revenues in 2021. Businesses must continually adapt their E-Commerce software to meet the demands of mobile customers.

Online markets can simply function on numerous devices, which is a key nopCommerce development advantage. It has a lot of pre-made and changeable designs as well as mobile-friendly features.

Based on ASP.NET Core

Microsoft’s ASP.NET 3.5 is used to create this platform. nopCommerce 4.0 now uses the most advanced.NET Core MVC framework.

Developers may construct a clear architecture that is scalable and expandable in the long term by using strongly-typed ASP.NET.

However, the most current version isn’t totally cross-platform, but they’re working on it, particularly when it comes to Linux hosting, which is more cost-effective than Windows hosting. You’ll use one of the most widely used, stable, modular, and open-source frameworks.

Extendable Architecture

The main advantages of nopCommerce are flexibility and scalability. You may quickly alter and upgrade your program to meet the project’s specific requirements. nopCommerce has a number of sophisticated customization features.

All you need for your project is to employ an experienced .NET developer to work on the backend and turn all of your customers’ ideas into working software. Its modular design makes it easy to add new features and alter those that already exist.

This platform provides a variety of hosting options, including SmarterASP for Windows and business platforms like Azure cloud and EverLeap. For hosting on Azure, nopCommerce development offers unique cloud capabilities. In addition, this platform is built to scale with your online shopping solution’s future expansion.

New themes and plugins may be created without interfering with the platform’s basic architecture.

Seamless Payments

For developers, creating a quick and efficient checkout experience is a challenge. It is, nevertheless, critical to ensure that shoppers complete their purchases without exiting their shopping carts. The checkout process heavily influences conversions. nopCommerce payment gateways provide over 50 solutions to make this difficult task easier, including the most popular ones like PayPal, Stripe, and Eway.

The built-in features help customers have a better checkout experience.

  • Gift wrapping
  • Customized messages
  • Money-back and partial refunds
  • Weights and dimensions measure configurations
  • Automated PDF order receipts generation
  • Supporting multiple languages and currencies

Built-in SEO Tools

The importance of SEO in digital marketing cannot be underestimated. You may have a fantastic customized E-Commerce website, but it will be meaningless if no one knows about it. SEO-optimized solutions help E-Commerce websites reach more clients, which is essential. Some features that may assist you to optimize your online shop for search engines:

  • Placing keywords
  • Supports creating custom URL and robot.txt
  • Adding breadcrumb navigation
  • Assists in creating social media sitemaps and labels in XML/HTML.
  • Integrates with Google Analytics and management tools.

Multi-Store Management

Businesses may use this technology to create and operate two E-Commerce marketplaces from a single backend. This dramatically minimizes the amount of time required and money spent on Development. For your digital markets, you may choose from a variety of styles. It is appropriate for both B2B and B2C companies in any sector. In addition, special capabilities on the platform make managing many stores easier and faster.

Multi-Vendor Functionality

Multiple vendor and dropshipping capabilities are required if you wish to build an E-Commerce site similar to eBay. This allows you to keep track of inventories and fulfill orders. When a consumer places an order, the vendor gets an email. A vendor admin panel is a feature that makes product and order delivery easier.

Security

There are no security breaches on record. In addition, nopCommerce is one of the highly secure eCommerce platforms since it is an ASP.NET CORE application.

Key nopCommerce Built-in Features

If you’re operating an online shop and have a website, there are a few characteristics that you must have. In addition, some of the most popular nopCommerce systems and a comprehensive list of typical online companies and shopping cart systems may benefit from eCommerce functionalities.

Some Built-in Features of nopCommerce:

  • Multi-Store
  • Multi-Vendor
  • Payment Methods
  • Responsive Design
  • Advanced SEO Settings
  • Multi-Currency Support
  • Multilingual Support
  • RTL Support
  • Marketing Settings
  • Affiliate and Client Loyalty Programs 

Types of nopCommerce Development

If you want to make a nopCommerce application for your business, you must know its various types.

Understanding the various types of E-commerce can assist you in developing a long-term business model. If you can reach the required target audiences, it will also increase your profits.

There are many different types of eCommerce. But first, let’s go through what nopCommerce development requires in this nopCommerce development tutorial.

Every shop is transforming into an online store. In addition, for your best-in-class e-commerce site, you must choose E-commerce web development.

Here, I will introduce you to several vital types of e-commerce application developments. These are the most used types that successful businesses are using worldwide.

  • Aggregators nopCommerce Development
  • B2B nopCommerce Development
  • B2C nopCommerce Development
  • C2C (Consumer -To- Consumer) nopCommerce Development
  • C2B (Consumer -to -Business) nopCommerce Development
  • Booking nopCommerce Development
  • Auction/Bidding nopCommerce Development

Technology Stacks for nopCommerce Development

The technology stack for developing nopCommerce means combining tools, frameworks, platforms, and programming languages.

You may create high-quality nopCommerce apps with the support of an integrated and efficient technological stack. Some key technologies will be required to create a complete working system for your e-commerce web business.

System Requirements for Developing:

Operating System

An operating system is a piece of software that manages files, memory, processes, handles input and output, and controls peripheral devices like disk drives and printers, among other things.

  • Windows
  • Linux
  • macOS

Supported Browsers

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 and above
  • Google Chrome 1.x
  • Mozilla Firefox 2.0 and above
  • Apple Safari 2.x

Tools Required for Development

We’ll need to install a few tools before starting working on top of nopCommerce since it’s built on Microsoft’s .NET6.

.NET 6 Runtime & SDK

Because nopCommerce 4.50 is built on the .NET6 framework. Before we begin developing on nopCommerce, you must first install the.NET 6 runtime and SDK.

Visual Studio Code

As we all know, nopCommerce is built on Microsoft’s .NET 6 framework, and the Visual Studio IDE is the greatest tool for development.

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 or Above / MySql Server 5.7 or Above / PostgreSQL 9.2 or Above

Since version 4.30, nopCommerce has used Linq2DB as an ORM framework. Linq2DB is an object-relational mapper (ORM) that allows .NET developers to use .NET objects to interact with databases. It has the ability to map .Net objects to a variety of database sources.

Internet Information Service (IIS) 7.0 or Above

On Windows, which Microsoft technology is utilized to host Microsoft web-based applications? However, you are not confined to hosting nopCommerce on Windows; it may also be hosted on Linux and macOS. As you may be aware, IIS is not supported on platforms other than Windows. As a result, you may host your application on a Linux server using other technologies such as Apache or Nginx.

The Steps of nopCommerce Development

Understand what you need to consider before you start developing a nopCommerce site.

You’ll need a unique marketing strategy, a specific target audience, and a competitive platform.

Assume you have a clear picture of the product, your target market, and the competitors you’ll be competing against.

Step 1:

Identify The Niche

Selecting an appropriate niche is the first stage in developing a nopCommerce application.

Your niche will include a variety of viewpoints, as well as the products you intend to promote. And the items you want to sell in your online stores.

After everything is said and done, you may need to move apparel, accessories, books, and other items to the additional pages.

With your production network’s solid spaces, you’ll need to separate each of these types.

Target Audience Research

To make nopCommerce development viable, you must choose a popular service concept.

Sort through the users who will actually benefit from the features of your nopCommerce.

Then sort your target audience by age, gender, profession, and primary interests.

It’s essential to figure out which of your items will have an influence on them and benefit them.

Now you have a better understanding that how your service will improve the user’s life.

Competitors Analysis

There is one more important job in the first phase of creating a nopCommerce application.

After you’ve done your research on your target market, you’ll need to look at your competition. Among other internet platforms, e-commerce niches are the most competitive.

The E-commerce category has a lot of saturated and competitive keywords. As a result, after studying the actual competitors, you must determine your specialty. It is the most important and difficult task to do.

Find out who your actual competitors are and what advantages you have over them. Look at the advertising tools and how long it took them to become effective.

After you’ve gathered all of your data, make a list of the features you want to include in your nopCommerce development.

Step 2:

Planning the Most Important Features:

In the second stage of nopCommerce development, map essential features.

It is important to provide as much comfort for consumers as possible. You may do so by using interactive tools.

Here is a list of features that any nopCommerce application should have:

  • Authentication features
  • Two-step login access.
  • Social media login
  • Rating and review systems
  • Push notifications
  • Many payment methods
  • Easy-in/out option
  • Integrated AI and AR features
  • Customer support service

Preparing Design Elements

The next phase in your nopCommerce development is to prepare design elements. It is regarded as one of the pinnacles of nopCommerce success.

You must create a design that can read the user’s thinking and win the hearts of real customers.

Consider mapping, highlighting, and working on registration measures, among other things.

Here are several design frameworks that Amazon-like E-commerce used in the building of their ecommerce applications.

Follow These Guidelines While Creating nopCommerce Applications:

  • They employed a simple one-section structure to display items
  • Simpleness through substantial level capabilities such as a cart, search, simplified menu, wish-list, and so on.
  • Most minor item information is provided upfront, with extra information available for those that want it.
  • To keep everything clear and tidy, use basic images, shading, and a simple interface.
  • Creating a memorable brand and a memorable logo.

Now begin your nopCommerce Application Development with the help of the technical guidelines of nopCommerce Development given below.

Step 3:

Intensive Testing:

Testing a nopCommerce application is the most important and difficult step in the creation of an e-commerce app. This procedure, however, is unavoidable for a business’s future.

Many things may go wrong with your system, including payments and other issues.

Start correcting the issues once you’ve completed system integration and device testing. Again, doing numerous rounds of testing to guarantee smooth operation would be beneficial.

Furthermore, you will be required to conduct testing in a number of other critical areas:

  • Integration of social media
  • Workflow of the application
  • Compatibility for web browsing
  • The functionality of the payment gateway
  • Responsiveness for SEO and mobile

Application Launch and Support

The time has come to launch your nopCommerce application, which you have been waiting for. And it’s at this point that you’ll need to plan out all of your marketing activities before going live.

You may need the assistance of social media marketing, Google advertisements, video ads, and other methods at this stage of nopCommerce growth.

The way you handle your consumers will determine the success of your E-commerce app development. As a result, you must prepare your app with new and considerate consumer upgrades.

By providing a seamless user experience, your app can make a difference.

Maintenance

After the development of the nopCommerce application, providing maintenance is a long procedure. As a result, the maintenance method may need a long-term contract.

However, after the deployment is complete, you should concentrate on marketing. Your marketing plan, on the other hand, has already started at this point.

Check and double-check which features are necessary. Fix the issues and react to the needs of the customers. Study the user’s experience and analytics first and foremost.

What are the Challenges for nopCommerce Development?

Your nopCommerce will have to face different challenges that will help them improve business results. Here, I have highlighted some of the most important obstacles: 

1. Driving in adequate traffic

To secure the most relevant traffic for any e-commerce site, it is critical to choose the best channels. Furthermore, attracting clients that need our goods is essential for quality traffic. In this regard, the usage of online communication tools and the necessity to have a strong social media presence is critical.

2. Working positively with leads 

Getting a list of people who are interested in our items and collecting their email addresses is simply the first step in successful ecommerce development. From here, we must try to provide promotions and other value-added components that will really draw attention to our business and our items in particular.

3. Getting conversions to purchase 

Collecting leads is all about moving them down the sales funnel. This necessitates a continuous effort to develop marketing initiatives to optimize the whole process.

4. Establishing a long-term growth plan 

The problem of starting eCommerce isn’t just about increasing revenue. Apart from other things that will enhance the long-term outcomes of the online business, it is also critical that we try to cut shipping and inventory costs, improve marketing methods, and reduce returns.

5. Having the best technological solutions 

For successful ecommerce development, finding the correct technology tools to handle an online business is critical. Picking the correct software is one of the most important aspects of building a successful Ecommerce business.

nopCommerce Development Cost

Now is the time if you want to use NopCommerce for your business’s eCommerce website. First, you need to commit to a $700 budget (excluding the annual maintenance and support package). i.e., a minimum of $500 in development and customizing service fees). After that, it usually depends on the customization and what is your shop specifically needs.

Conclusion

nopCommerce is a great framework for creating e-commerce websites. This ASP.NET framework is ideal for any project because of its comprehensive and flexible features. In addition, unlike other E-Commerce development platforms, its functionality is open to anybody, and developers are not charged a licensing fee.

The nopCommerce development platform is capable of creating a forward-thinking, secure, and feature-rich online shop. It contains everything you need to deliver a distinctive and simple shopping experience for your consumers.

nopCommerce Development FAQs

I have put together a list of frequently asked questions on nopCommerce Development. Read the frequently asked questions about nopCommerce Development here.

What Do you mean by nopCommerce Development?

nopCommerce is an ASP.NET Core-based eCommerce platform with a Microsoft SQL Server 2012 backend database.

Is nopCommerce easy to use?

nopCommerce platform is simple and quick to use as an eCommerce platform. The platform includes robust features that grow to accommodate the big size or multi-brand stores.

What is the latest version of nopCommerce?

nopCommerce is now available in .NET 6 Framework.

What is the use of nopCommerce?

It has a catalog interface and a backend administrative tool for creating shopping carts.

What is nopCommerce framework?

nopCommerce is a multi-store, multi-vendor, SEO-friendly, full-featured open-source E-Commerce system that is extremely adaptable and versatile. Which is based on the ASP.NET Core technology from Microsoft.

Is nopCommerce free?

nopCommerce is the most popular ASP.NET shopping cart in the world based on Microsoft technologies. The platform powers 50,000 live stores and has over 10,000 new stores every year. The platform is absolutely free to use: there are no any transaction or hidden fees.

Where can I host nopCommerce?

Microsoft Azure and several other cloud platforms are listed as leading nopCommerce hosting providers.

How do I write a nopCommerce plugin?

Create a Plugin project
1. Open the source code in Visual Studio by downloading it from the NopCommerce website.
2. Add a project of type class library to the NopCommerce solution’s plugins folder, with the plugin name preceded by Nop.
3. Delete the class.
4. To Nop, add the references.

Is nopCommerce a CMS?

DP CMS 1.6 is the most recent version of our nopCommerce CMS, and it comes with a lot of features. DP CMS is the extensible and cost-effective solution for all of your nopCommerce projects, despite of their audience or size.

How do I set up nopCommerce?

Installing on Windows
1. NopCommerce is free to download. You must first download nopCommerce before installing it on Windows.
2. NopCommerce files should be uploaded. After that, you must upload the nopCommerce files to your server.
3. Create a database.
4. Create a new website. 
5. Install nopCommerce.

How do I add a payment method on nopCommerce?

To make a payment method active, click Edit next to it, tick the Is active checkbox, and then click Update.

This page was last edited on 16 October 2023, at 12:54 pm